Big fish from the Mekong

This morning, just down the road from our arts guest house on the banks of the Mekong River in NE Thailand, everybody was discussing the big fish that one of the fishermen had caught.  They rang the restaurant just downstream from us and the lady on the left came with her motorbike to buy it and take it back for this evening's menu.

A Shaman preparing for a ritual communication with the spirits

*A Shaman preparing for a ritual communication with the spirits*
 at the village near our Arts Retreat Guest House in NE Thailand

 where I teach painting and photography. My wife introduces our guests to Thai village life and local food.

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

#painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience

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*A dancing girl at an open air free show common in NE Thailand.*

The singers male and female are huge stars and sing in the beautiful traditional style.  I will see if I can get a video clip to add to this.  There are distinct roles; a handsome lead male singer; a beautiful female lead; a man dressed up in sequins in a traditional style; a man dressed as a woman like a pantomime lady.  

In between songs they perform sketches which are very funny, even to me despite my not understanding a word.  There are lots of double meanings and sexual innuendo which the audience loves.

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

Visit our painting and photography artist retreat guesthouse in NE Thailand

by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

#Thailand #painting #holidays

This is a painting of the Pilbara region of Western Australia in oil on canvas 30 by 61 cms.  It will be in my solo exhibition at Element's Art Gallery in Dalkeith WA.

At first you think the night is silent, then as your eyes gradually begin to see and darks shapes turn into deep reds you begin to hear. The moon is a cold white but somehow the trees in front of you are gold and the scratching scrabbling sounds begin, punctuated by shrieks and distant moans. You are not alone, but the endless life and death dramas of small creatures will not harm you. You are safe here in the Pilbara, enjoy the colours, the presence of the rocks and the sound of the night.

http://www.jeremyholton.com
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
Visit our painting and photography artist retreat guesthouse in NE Thailand
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author
#painting #art #jeremyholton

Our neighbour's farmhouse.  Most people have a house like this on the farm as well as in the village.  Often the men will stay there overnight.  I suspect this is to drink Thai whisky and get away from their wives.

We have an arts retreat guesthouse in NE Thailand where I teach painting and photography. My wife introduces our guests to Thai village life and local food.
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

#painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

*'Abundance' by Jeremy Holton*
100 by 120 cms oil on canvas
#painting #art #jeremyholton
http://www.jeremyholton.com
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

Early morning in the village of Ban Pho in Isaan NE Thailand, where we take our guests to see village life and meet Waree's family.

I teach painting and photography. My wife introduces our guests to Thai village life and NE Thailand cooking.  We provide full board and guided discovery trips limited to 4 to 6 people at out arts guest house in NE Thailand http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

#painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience
http://www.jeremyholton.com
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

*Thai food* Insects

#Insects are a popular dish in NE Thailand, caught overnight in a bucket of water funneled by  a sheet of corrugated from a light which attracts them. In the morning we have a big fry-up.

Everybody should try them once at least, during your Thailand discovery holiday if only just to be able to say they have eaten insects.

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

#Thai #food

*Death of a flower* 57 by 57 cms oil pastel on paper

*Death of a flower*
57 by 57 cms oil pastel on paper

The Waratah Art Gallery asked me to paint a Waratah flower for their inaugural exhibition. I painted one Waratah with the exuberance of youth and one with the rich colours and subtleties of death and decay. Unfortunately the Waratah Art Gallery itself died in infancy to be re-born as Challen & Rafferty Gallery.  Which died in its turn as all galleries do. This painting reminds us that there is beauty as well as inevitability in death.

#painting #art #flowers

by Jeremy Holton 

http://www.jeremyholton.com

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

Monk people and dog at the Wat

Whatever religion you have there is something magic about visiting a Buddhist Wat.  There are many wonderful temples in Phon Phisai and even the village of Ban Pho has three. 

They all have gorgeous golden decorations, serpents, dragons and of course Buddhas.  When you visit them, apart from looking at the rich ornamentation and wall paintings spend some time in contemplation.

You take off your shoes of course before you enter and kneel before Buddha, then wei three times bowing to the ground.  Putting your feet towards Buddha or others is a sign of disrespect in Thailand so you always sit with your feet facing away from Buddha. 

There are many activities associated with paying your respects to Buddha.  Lighting incense sticks and leaving them burning, lighting candles and offering flowers.  My favourite is letting small birds out of their cage so that they can fly away to freedom.  This is not only symbolic but deeply satisfying, despite the knowledge that they will probably be caught and sold again in another small cage.  Such is the circle of life for the small birds.

This is near the village where we will take you if stay at our art retreat guesthouse in NE Thailand

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

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Moon Rising over th Mitchell Falls in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

'Moon rising over the Mitchell Falls' oil on canvas 100 by 111 cms 

by Jeremy Holton 

http://www.jeremyholton.com

Its 2 to 3 days driver from Perth to the Kimberley in the remote North of Western Australia. Another day or two along the Gibb River Road and then the track to the Mitchell Plateau. The roads are impassable in the Wet so its best to go soon after when the gorges are all flowing and hope that you don’t get blocked by a river crossing. The Mitchell Falls is worth it. This is early evening in the Dry when the falls are not in full spate but its still magnificent. I went for a walk from our camp site and left it too late to return. It was dark and I knew I had to cross a creek but couldn't find the path. In the end I took a guess as to where the camp was and waded across the stream in the dark (no crocs in that section I hoped) and luckily my sense of direction was OK as I scrambled into the camp as my friends were beginning to get worried. Nothing for several hundred kms cliffs and gorges not a good place to get lost in the dark.

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

#painting #australia #waterfall #jeremyholton

Elephants in Thailand

Tame elephants are common in Thailand and they turn up in the village, at restaurants etc.  Their handlers charge a small amount for a ride.  Although we can't predict where the elephants will be its likely that you will see one at some time during your photography painting holiday and have a ride if you like.

My son Toby is in blue on the right

   

http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

'Fabulous flowers'  56 by 76 cms oil on paper by Jeremy Holton
#painting #jeremyholton
http://www.jeremyholton.com
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

The terrace pergola and the river at Mekong House our painting holidays guest house in NE Thailand.  This  was taken in January by November the terrace will be complete.
#thailand #painting #holidays

http://www.jeremyholton.com
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

'On our way' 100 by 120 cms oil on canvas

by Jeremy Holton
http://www.jeremyholton.com
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

Rice fields in NE Thailand near our village.

I teach painting and photography. My wife introduces our guests to Thai village life and NE Thailand cooking.  We provide full board and guided discovery trips limited to 4 to 6 people at out arts guest house in NE Thailand http://thailand-painting-holidays.com

#painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience
http://www.jeremyholton.com
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

A temple market in the village of Ban Pho, NE Thailand
We take our guests here from our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
 #painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience http://www.jeremyholton.com
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

'Echoes of the day' 60 by 90cms by Jeremy Holton

I call the track that runs from the Great Northern Highway down to the Gibb River Road past Tunnel Creek "Limestone Road" as there are fossil Devonian coral reefs all the way. This creates a wonderful landscape of rounded reefs caves, boabs and palms. There are crevices, hidden valleys and caves in which animals hide in the heat of the day, so too do the ghosts which wait for dusk, oozing from cracks and floating down the track seeking stragglers from the day.

http://www.jeremyholton.com
http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

Immediately after having a baby village women lie in a room with a cauldron of hot steaming herbs for several weeks.  They believe that this makes their bodies recover from the birth more quickly.

Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
#painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience
http://www.jeremyholton.com
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author

People in the village of Ban Pho in NE Thailand.

Visit our art and photography guest house in NE Thailand http://thailand-painting-holidays.com
#painting #holiday #thailand #travel #vacation #photography #culture #experience
http://www.jeremyholton.com
by Jeremy Holton https://plus.google.com/u/0/104359568476968412848?rel=author